Matthew "Matt" Hook

Economy

It is unconscionable to continue to incur unprecedented levels of debt for future generations. We need a combination of tax increases and expense reductions. I propose limiting all discretionary spending increase to one percent per year until we get our annual deficits to between 2% - 3.0% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). I also propose doing away with the preferential treatment on capital gains 90% of which go to the wealthiest 5%. The capital gains tax rate is significantly lower than the effective tax rate on salaries and wages. This results in the top 400 richest people paying an effective tax rate lower than those in the middle class. In fact, for those with taxable income of over $10 million, preferential capital gains represent approximately 50% of their income compared to less than 1% for those with taxable income under $100,000. Learn more

Matt will support tax increases and spending cuts to reduce the deficits. Capital Gains on investments, 90% of which go to the wealthiest top 5% of taxpayers, are taxed at a much lower rate than working people's wages. Matt proposes raising the capital gain tax rate to the same rate at which wages are taxed. This would result in the 400 wealthiest people no longer paying lower rates than middle-class families. Learn more

Environment / Energy

Climate change is the existential issue of our time. I would be in favor of adopting the revenue-neutral Conservative Case for Carbon Dividends proposed by James Baker, Henry Paulson, Jr., George Shultz, and other prominent Republicans or similar legislation proposed by the bipartisan Citizens Climate Lobby. Renewable energy is now cheaper than coal and we should be striving to be a leader in renewable energy which created 110,000 new jobs last year as opposed to continuing to hitch our wagon to the coal industry which is more expensive and has experienced a reduction of 40% of its workforce in the last 10 years. We are at a pivotal point in the new energy revolution and we are missing a huge opportunity, as a country, if we choose not to become the world leader in clean energy technologies. Learn more

Matt would work to reduce carbon trapping gasses that are causing climate change by supporting the revenue-neutral proposal outlined in The Conservative Case for Carbon Dividends proposed by James A. Baker III, George Shultz, Henry M. Paulson, Jr., and other prominent Republicans or similar legislation. Learn more

Foreign Policy

Should President Trump have to win Congressional authorization before taking further military action against Iran? I think President Trump should be allowed to use limited military action consistent with past Presidents and the War Powers Act. However, we must never forget the framers of our Constitution gave Congress certain enumerated powers, including the right to declare war, to provide a check on the Executive Branch. Learn more

Do you support the USMCA? Yes Should we be using tariffs or the threat of tariffs as a negotiating tactic? Tariffs are appropriate if used wisely under the right circumstances. Learn more

Government Reform

Matt will not accept any donations from special interests. Learn more

The first thing we need to do is quit electing politicians who take over $250 million annually in political donations from the healthcare industry. Learn more

Guns

I would support universal background checks and allowing the CDC to track gun deaths. Learn more

Healthcare

Our government already spends approximately 8% of GDP on healthcare and provides healthcare coverage for less than half of our citizens. The other 35 countries in the OECD (which have longer average life expectancies) provide healthcare for all of their citizens for 8.8% of GDP. These other 35 countries in the OECD have a variety of solutions ranging from government-provided single-payer to private payer for covering the cost of healthcare. Therefore, we should consider what they are doing. I believe we can construct a system that would be uniquely American, which would provide good value if we can work within a framework of political consensus and decrease the impact of special interests. However, to do so we need to quit electing politicians who take over $250 million in political donations from the healthcare industry each year. Learn more

The United States spends 17.8% of GDP for our confusing, complex and inconsistent healthcare system compared with an average of 8.8% of GDP the other 35 developed countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) pay. We need a healthcare system that provides high-quality outcomes at the lowest price. A good first step would be to address the crony capitalism that is rampant in our $3.6 trillion annual healthcare system which does not allow the US government the ability to negotiate drug prices and costs. As a result of this provision, according to the Congressional Budget Office, spending on specialty drugs by Medicare Part D rose from $8.7 billion dollars in 2010 to $32.8 billion in 2015. Learn more

Matt supports action to fix the Medicare and Social Security programs in a manner that requires everyone to share some of the pain. Learn more

Additionally, healthcare providers, which are often charging non-Medicare patients over 10 times what Medicare is paying, should be prohibited from charging anyone higher prices than those paid by Medicare. Learn more

Immigration

it is unconscionable not to provide some accommodation for children who were brought here through no fault of their own and know no other home. Learn more

We should decide how much we want to spend on border security and then let the experts at Homeland Security decide how to best use it. Additionally, we should do the same for national defense instead of building something the military does not need just because it is in some congressperson’s district. Learn more

Social Services

Matt supports action to fix the Medicare and Social Security programs in a manner that requires everyone to share some of the pain. Learn more